5 Reasons Social Media Should be a Part of Your Online Marketing Strategy

It should be common knowledge that simply having a website is not enough for your business to make any kind of impact on the internet world. There are a plethora of marketing paths that every business should follow. But, instead of running down the list of each and every one of these paths let’s focus on one that is often overlooked… social media.

If you don’t have the basics, such as Facebook and Google+, then you are missing out on a vast amount of potential customers. Often business owners view social media as a place for kids to share pictures of the omelet they had that day, where they took their dog for a walk, or the fact that they got “swole” at the gym, but this is not the case. Social media is an immense pool of potential for websites that are looking to cast a wider net.

Here are 5 reasons social media should be on the top of your to-do list:

1- Up close and personal marketing

You can adjust your marketing strategy as a result of instant interaction with your customer base. With Facebook and Twitter you can see daily tweets and posts which can give you better insight into which parts of your marketing are working and which are not.

2- Immediate response to any problems

Of course any business would want to know if there were any problems with their product or service as quickly as possible. Social media can provide you with feedback in order for you to stay on top of any issues, which allows you to take action and resolve them right away. Consumers appreciate companies that take the time to respond to complaints or concerns (and will often use social media to negatively rant about a business that won’t take the time to make things right).

3- Finding customers you didn’t know existed

Twitter is a great way to use specific keywords to find people who are looking for your product or services, then you can direct them to your site. Finding new customers through Twitter can be as easy as one perfectly placed hashtag or @ sign.

4- More sales – more profit

Using social media allows you to stay in front of your customer base. It will not only help keep your brand in front potential buyers, but it will allow you to offer incentives, which can be a powerful tool to motivate them to buy. Try tweeting or posting coupon codes and watch the positive impact it has on your revenue.

5- It’s free

You can’t argue with free marketing. Well… sort of. If you are intimidated by interacting on these social platforms, hiring a marketing agency is going to be your best bet. But as long as you know the ins and outs of what type of content is going to reach your target audience most effectively, social media is free and fairly easy to use.

The only thing it costs you is the time it takes to plan, prepare, and post effective messages. (And make no mistake, if you’re going to do it right, expect to dedicate some time to the process.)

Simply put, if your business is not already active on social media, now is the time to start. You could be missing out on opportunities and sales right now. They are not difficult to use and a great way to get your company in front of a buying audience.